Filamentous cracker.



No.7l3,795. Patented Nov. l8, I902.

H. D. PERKY.

FILAMENTOUS GRACKER. (Application filed Sept. 29, 1900. Renewed Apr. 16,1902.)

(No Model.)

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HENRY D. PER-KY, OF WVOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATURAL FOOD COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A COR- PORATION OF NEW YORK.

FILAMENTOUS CRACKE R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,795, dated November 18, 1902.

Application filed September 29, 1900. Renewed April 16, 1902. Serial No. 103,213. (No model.)

To (0Z5 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. PERKY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Worcester, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Crackers; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the cracker. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end View of the cracker.

The object of the invention is to provide a cracker of filamentous or shredded wheat or other grain; and the invention consists in the novel formation of the cracker, whereby it is given compact and definite shape, while the fibrous or light structure is preserved with sufficient strength for use as an article of food of the character indicated.

In baking biscuits of wheat filaments it has been found that there is a tendency for the biscuit to become loose or somewhat open in its middle portion, owing to the swelling in the baking, and such loose structure is not suitable for the flattened or cracker form. It

has also been found that when the material is compressed by a mashing action its filamentous structure, upon which depends its light and porous character, is injured. In order to remedy these conditions and provide a cracker of suitable structure, the article is made in sufficiently thin and flattened form of the filaments which extend in a more or less undulating manner in one direction, superficial ribs being provided extending in the direction of the filaments and between these ribs elongated depressions having in their bottoms locking indentations. To effect this, the filamentous material having its fibers or filaments extending in one direction is laid between baking-irons having teeth studding their inside surfaces in such manner that while the filamentous material is held between the irons during the baking by the approximation of the points of the teeth the filameutous structure is preserved, the pressure between the points being sufficient to cause the locking of the filaments by direct attachment to each other at regular intervals, so that the cracker will hold its form. In this structure it will be readily seen that as the material is distributed with its fibers extending in a more or less undulating manner in one direction the intervals between the teeth of the baking-irons will permit the filaments to extend therein in such a way that the cracker will be provided with superficial ribs a, extendiugin the direction of the filaments. Between these ribs the cracker will be provided with elongated or channel-form depressions b, in the bottoms of which are series of pointed or somewhat-pointed indentations c, which are caused by the pressure of the points of the teeth of the baking-irons. These indentations are distributed throughout the cracker and show the only places where the material is compressed with any degree of force, the general filamentous structure remaining inviolate, but presenting a close arrangement, which while it does not entirely eliminate the interstices between the filaments as actual compression would nevertheless reduces the interstices sufficiently to give the article the flattened or cracker character designed. At the same time the short binding filaments made between the attachment-points in series have more strength to sustain the form of the article than if they extended loosely across its entire breadth. The baking-iron whereby this cracker is prepared is shown in my pending application, Serial No. 24,205, series of 1900. These irons are studded on their inside surfaces with beveled teeth, which when the irons of a set or pair are placed together approximate contact with each other at their points only. The arrangement of teeth is preferably regular, at as indicated, and the teeth are made long enough to provide sufficient depth in the intervals be tween them to avoid mashing the filamentous material, which is thus enabled to preserve its normal light character, the binding being effected at the locking indentations by the approximate contact of the points of the teeth.

Having described-this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ture of even nature on both sides of the ar- :0 is ticle.

Acracker composed of superposed filaments In testimony whereof I affix my signature of grain, which are locked together at a series in presence of two Witnesses. 5 of points at short distances apart by utilizing the adhesive nature of the material at such HENRY PERKY points, while leaving the filaments eornpara- Witnesses: tively free from one locking-point to another MAUD Y. ANDERSON,

in such manner as to provide an open struc- BERTHA E. SUTTON. 

